LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 
Chap. El4<5>4- 

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PRESENTED BY 



UNITED STATES OF mmcA 



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MEMORIAL ADDRESSES 

ON THE 

LIFE AND CHARACTER 

OF 

Nelson Dingley 

OF LEWISTON, 

Ex-Covernor of the State of Maine and Representative in Congress, 

DELIVERED IN JOINT ASSEHBLV OF THE 

SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, 
Sixty-ninth Legislature, Feb. 15, IS99. 



AUGUSTA 

KENNEBEC JOURNAL PRINT 
1899 



32295 

STATE OF MAINE. 



In Senate, 

February 28, 1899. 
On motion by Mr. Blanchard of Franklin, 

Ordered, The House concurring, that the resolutions adopted 
jointly by the Senate and House of Representatives, on the death 
of Nelson Dingley and the remarks made by the several senators 
and representatives relating to the same, be printed in a memorial 
pamphlet, and that three thousand copies of the same be fur- 
nished to the members of the Legislature. 

In Senate Chamber, 

February 28, 1899. 
Read and passed. Sent down for concurrence. 

KENDALL M. DUNBAR. 

Secretary. 

House of Representatives, 

March i, 1899. 
Read and passed in concurrence. 

W. S. COTTON, 
Clerk. 



STATE OF MAINE. 



Executive Chamber. 

Augusta, January 17, 1899. 

To the Senate and House of Representatives: 

It is with feelings of profound sorrow that I perform the pain- 
ful duty of announcing to you that the Honorable Nelson 
Dingley, representative in Congress from the Second district, 
died in the city of Washington, last Friday evening, at half-past 
ten o'clock. 

For some time the people of Maine, and of the whole country, 
have watched with deep anxiety his brave struggle for life, 
earnestly praying that he might be spared for further usefulness 
to the nation. And as hope of recovery had begun to cheer and 
gladden their hearts, a sudden change for the worse ended his 
grand life, and put a period to his noble, practical and eminently 
useful career. 

We all sincerely mourn the loss of one so good, so just and 
so great, and tender our heartfelt sympathy to his bereaved 
family. 

As a statesman he takes a high rank among those who have 
wisely guided aright the republic in its onward march, and who 
have written their names in imperishable letters high upon the 
nation's roll of honor. As a journalist, a legislator, a congress- 
man, a governor and an upright citizen, he has shown us a life 
and character worthy of imitation and reverence. In his long 
and varied career he has been scrupulously faithful to every 
trust and duty — just and impartial. "Hew to the line, let the 



4 MEMORIAL ADDRESSES. 

chips fall where they may," was the principle that dominated 
and controlled all his acts. 

Maine will never forget his devotion to his native State and 
her interests, and though dead, he will continue to live in the 
grateful iicarts and memories of all her citizens. In the halls of 
her Legislature he began his distinguished public labors; they 
have closed in the Capitol as a tried and trusted leader of his 
party in the National House of Representatives. 

His integrity, devotion to duty, love of right and justice, vast 
research, sound learning, thorough mastery and comprehension 
of all questions relating to finances and tariff, commanded for 
him on all occasions an attentive hearing, and made him a recog- 
nized authority, not only among his friends, but also with his 
political opponents. It is my deliberate judgment that in refer- 
ence to these subjects he has never had a superior and but few 
equals on the floors of Congress. 

As a mark of respect, I have directed that all flags on public 
buildings be placed at half-mast, and also that the executive 
departments of the State government be closed during the day 
of the funeral services. 

It is for this Legislature to take such further action in the 
premises as it shall deem fitting and proper 

LLEWELLYN POWERS, Governor. 



STATE OF MAINE. 



Senate Chamber, 
August Aj January 17, 1899. 

Mr. White of Androscoggin presented the following : 

When from some point of vantage we are permitted to look 
out over a mighty forest we see scattered sparingly, here and 
there, a few trees towering above their fellows like mighty 
rulers. 

So here and there among their fellow men occasionally there 
appears a great leader commanding the attention and respect, 
the confidence and devotion of mankind. 

Conspicuous among the distinguished men the State of Maine 
has produced, whose fame and field of action have not been con- 
fined to the limits of our State or even of the Nation, stands 
Nelson Dingley. 

Honest, able, learned, pure in private and in public life, he has 
endeared himself to the people and enshrined himself in their 
confidence and affection. 

As a token of respect to his memory and in response to that 
silent sorrow which oppresses us all at his death, it is 

Ordered, That a committee, consisting of the President of 
the Senate and two senators, on the part of the Senate, with 
such members as may be joined on the part of the House, be 
appointed to attend the funeral at Lewiston, Wednesday, Jan- 
uary eighteenth, at ten o'clock, A. M. ; that the Secretary of State 
transmit a copy of this order to the family, and that as a further 
mark of respect to the memory of the dead, the Senate and 
House stand adjourned. 

In Senate, 

January 17, 1899. 
Read, unanimously adopted, and sent to the House. 

KENDALL M. DUNBAR, Secretary. 

In House of Representatives^ 

January 17, 1899. 
Read and unanimously adopted in concurrence. 

W. S. COTTON, Clerk. 



Joint Committee appointed to attend the funeral of tlie late 
Honorable Nelson Dingley : 

The President of the Senate, Mr. Clason of Kennebec. 

Mr. White of Androscoggin. 
Mr. Hamlin of Hancock. 
The Speaker of the House, Mr. Stetson of Bangor. 
Mr. Harris of Auburn. 
Mr. Manley of Augusta. 
Mr. Murphy of Lewiston. 
Mr. Brown of Falmouth. 
Mr. Hix of Rockland. 
Mr. Donham of Hebron. 



STATE OF MAINE. 



House of Representatives, 

n, .- . -.r ,. January 23, 1899. 

On motion by Mr. Manley of Augusta, 

Ordered, The Senate concurring, that a committee consisting 

of the Governor, President of the Senate and Speaker of the 

House be appointed as a committee to arrange for suitable 

memorial exercises to be held in the House of Representatives 

on Wednesday, the fifteenth day of Februar)-, in order that the 

executive department and members of the Legislature may pay 

their tribute of respect to the memory of the late Nelson Dingley. 

House of Representatives, 

January 23, 1899. 
Kead and passed. Sent up for concurrence. 

W. S. COTTON Clerk. 

Tj , , , . In Senate, January 24, 1899. 

Kead and passed in concurrence. 

KENDALL M. DUNBAR, Secretary. 



IN JOINT ASSEMBLY. 



House of Representatives, 
Wednesday, February 15, 1899. 

Called to order by President Clason of the Senate. 
On motion by Mr. Stearns of Aroostook, 

Mr. Stearns of Aroostook of the Senate and Mr. Philbrook 
of Waterville of the House, were appointed to wait upon the 
Governor and the Executive Council and inform him and them 
that the Legislature was in joint assembly for the purpose of 
holding memorial exercises to the memory of the late Nelson 
Dingley and extend an invitation to the Governor and Council 
to attend. 

Senator Stearns subsequently reported that the committee had 
delivered the message with which it was charged, and the Gov- 
ernor was pleased to make answer that he would attend in this 
Chamber forthwith, accompanied by his Council, for the pur- 
pose of joining in the exercises commemorative of the life and 
character of the late Honorable Nelson Dingley. 

Thereupon the Governor, accompanied by his Council, entered 
the hall. 

The Governor assumed the chair and addressed the assembly 
as follows : 
Gentlemen of the Joint Assembly: 

It is indeed an honor to respond to your invitation to preside 
during the ceremonies commemorating the life and public ser- 
vices of Nelson Dingley. 



8 MEMORIAL ADDRESSES. 

This grand citizen of our State, whose Hfe and character you 
are now to commemorate, is one whom I have personally known 
for many years, and have known him only to respect and to 
honor him. 

I have presented here a list of the names of those w'ho desire 
to deliver memorial addresses. If there are others not upon the 
list, I have no doubt they will have an opportunity to speak, and 
that all will be pleased to listen to them. 

In compliance with the arrangement, the exercises will begin 
by addresses from gentlemen who are members of the Senate, 
then will follow those who are members of the House of Repre- 
sentatives. 

I will now recognize as the first speaker the Senator from 
Androscoggin, Mr. White. 



MR. WHITE or ANDROSCOGGIN. 

Your Excellency and Gentlemen of the Assembly: 

It is not my purpose to attempt any extended eulogj- upon the 
life and character of Nelson Dingley. 

More eloquent lips than mine will tell j'ou the story of his life 
and from that story draw lessons that will instruct and strengthen 
us all in the performance of public duty. 

And yet I cannot allow this occasion to pass without bringing 
my tribute of love and esteem to so worthy and noble a character. 

In contemplating the passing of a human life the saddest 
thought which comes to us is how little the world recks the 
change. To-day we step forth in all the restless activity of life, 
to-morrow the grave closes over us, and in the rush of human 
events we are soon forgotten. Such, at least, is the fate of the 
great mass of humanity, but occasionally there appears a strong 
and great personality, the influence of whose life and character 
upon human affairs is not limited to the short space of human 
life, but long survives and in some cases seems to increase with 
succeeding years. 



NELSON DINGLEY. 9 

Among the early founders of the nation a Hamilton or a 
Jefferson are illustrations of this persistent influence, and I am 
inclined to think that the influence of Abraham Lincoln upon 
the nation is greater to-day than at any time during his life. 

To a peculiar degree Lincoln represented the joys and sor- 
rows, the aspirations and ambitions, the thought, the life and the 
intelligence of the great commonalty of the nation. 

Upon this commonalty rests the strength and endurance of 
this nation, the permanence of our institutions. 

From this commonalty have sprung all its great political 
leaders. 

No man has yet risen to enviable eminence in this nation whose 
heart has not beat in sympathy with the intelligent thought and 
conscience of the people. 

Demagogues arise in abundance who for a time may deceive 
the populace, but the test comes when a man occupies positions 
of public confidence and trust for a long term of years. 

There is no X-ray known to science that penetrates like the 
glare of the public eye when brought to bear upon the life and 
character of a public servant. 

Tried by this supreme test, I believe Nelson Dingley will go 
down to posterity as one of the most useful and eminent public 
men the State of Maine has produced. 

For more than a quarter of a century he has been a prominent 
figfure in public affairs. 

Who, now that he is gone, mourn his death? Go out among 
the people in his own city, throughout the State, or the nation 
even. There you will find the mourners. There you will hear 
earnest and sincere expressions of regret at his untimely taking 
off. 

This, to my mind, is the most striking testimonial to his char- 
acter, the sublimest tribute to his memory. 

It shows that he had in no common degree touched the hearts 
of the people and impressed himself upon them as worthy of 
their confidence and esteem. 



lO MEMORIAL ADDRESSES. 

They saw here a man whom they could trust, for during a 
long public career extending over a period when party passions 
had been aroused to the highest pitch, the fiercest political 
opponents had never questioned his honesty or his integrity. He 
was without blemish in public as well as in private life. They 
saw a man whose daily life ennobled labor, for he was a mighty 
worker himself. The conventionalities and enjoyments of 
society, excusable and necessary though they may be within cer- 
tain limits, had no attractions for him, for he had no time to 

play. 

To him life was real, life was earnest. 

They saw a man coming from out the common walks of life, 
who, by honest and industrious effort, had become a leader among 
the rulers of a mighty nation at a time when the nation, bursting 
the bonds of provincialism, had taken its proper place among 
the great world powers of the age, and yet who had never for- 
gotten his simplicity of manner and address, and who was as 
approachable by the plainest citizen as when he was a toiler at 
the press. 

They saw a man of courage and conviction in public affairs, 
who, with consistent purpose, labored and legislated for the 
greatest good of the greatest number. 

It is no wonder that the death of such a man in the full 
strength of his power and influence came to our people with a 
sense of personal loss. 

They felt that in his death they had lost a safe man in the halls 
of legislation and a wise and prudent man in the councils of the 
State. 

I do not wish to claim for Mr. Dingley any merit which is not 
justly his due, for if I knew the man, nothing was more distaste- 
ful to him than extravagant or undeserved praise, but it can be 
justly and truly said of him that he was one of the best examples 
of that high type of manhood which represents the best thought 
and conscience of New England. 



NELSON DINGLEY. 11 

The people of this State, while mourning his death, have just 
reason for congratulation that their State has produced so worthy 
a figure in national affairs, and to the youth of the State his 
example will be a beacon to lead them in the paths of good 
citizenship and political integrity. 



MR. PLUNNER OP PENOBSCOT. 

Your Excellency and Gentlemen of the Assembly: 

Although Nelson Dingley was born sixty-seven years ago 
to-day in the home of his maternal grandfather, near that noble 
river within the sound of whose falling waters his entire private 
business life was passed and his home permanently established, 
several years of his early childhood were passed at his father's 
home, among the everlasting hills of Piscataquis county, in front 
of that "grand uplift of mountain brows," which extends across 
our State from Abraham and his fellows on the west to old 
Katahdin — king of mountains — on the east. And who will ever 
know how muchof the high ambition, noble aspiration and exalted 
sentiment of the man was due to the influence of the magnificent 
natural environment of those childhood days? 

There, too, among as industrious and hard-working a people 
as ever forced a rocky and unwilling soil to yield them the neces- 
saries and comforts of life, may have been stimulated that 
remarkable prediction for unremitting labor, which distinguished 
his whole after life, and made illustrious his public career. 

This is not a fit occasion to attempt a complete sketch of Mr. 
Dingley's life, nor a careful analysis of his mental and moral 
traits ; and passing by the record of his useful and distinguished 
service of four terms on the floor of this hall and two terms in 
the chair; passing by the story of his masterful creation of a 
great and influential newspaper, whose columns were ever kept 
as clean and pure as his own life and character, and which he 
himself desired and designed to be the best monument of his 



12 MEMORIAL ADDRESSES. 

busy and useful life ; passing by the history of his two terms of 
distinguished service as chief magistrate of our State. I will 
only touch briefly upon some points of his service in that great 
parlimentary arena, into which it was my privilege to see hins 
enter, in the autumn of 1881, not in the place of a deceased or 
defeated predecessor, but in the place of an illustrious neighbor 
and friend who had been promoted, on his merits, to the upper 
chamber of Congress. 

He very soon attained among his associates an enviable reputa- 
tion for steady habits, tireless industry, and conscientious devo- 
tion to his public duties. And in a few years his information 
upon all questions touching the tariflf, currency, banking, com- 
merce and kindred subjects had become so varied, comprehen- 
sive and thorough, and was held so readily at his command, that 
his associates called him the Encyclopedia of the House, in 
kindly recognition of the invaluable aid he was able, and ever 
willing, to render them, when engaged in the investigation of 
fiscal matters, or special preparation for their discussion. And 
a constantly enlarging encyclopedia of useful, valuable and well- 
digested knowledge did that ample, active and tireless brain 
remain, until the end. The possession of this vast fund of 
knowledge, practical and technical, and his long parlimentary 
experience and ready command of the rules made him, by com- 
mon consent, the best equipped man in or out of Congress for the 
doing of the crowning work of his illustrious public career ; the 
framing of a great revenue measure, which, while affording means 
to keep the vast machinery of government in operation, should 
at the same time stimulate instead of blocking the wheels of 
private industry, a measure which by many is deemed the most 
scientific and philosophical of its kind ever enacted ; which 
bears his honored name, and will shed lustre upon it, throughout 
all the generations of the future, in which study and considera- 
tion of the .subjects with which it deals, shall be required. 

While Mr. Dinglcy was broad-minded and patriotic enough 
to use his knowledge, and the power it gave him, in the interest 



NELSON DINGLEY. I3 

of the whole country, his loyalty to his native State, and sense 
of duty to her, as one of her chosen representatives, ever con- 
strained him to see to it that her interests were duly considered, 
and in him the State of Maine has lost one of her most alert, 
influential and powerful friends, as well as one of her most illus- 
trious sons. 

Mr. Chairman : The legislative career of Nelson Dingley 
affords the most marked example and illustration, with which I 
am acquainted, of what painstaking, methodical, persistent, perse- 
vering and unremitting hard work will do, to make a public man 
useful, influential and great. He was wise enough to know at 
the outset, that if he was to become a great parliamentary leader, 
the disadvantages of a weak and thin voice, an unimpressive 
presence, lack of fertile imagination, lack of a keen sense of 
humor, and lack of that subtle, imponderable, indefinable, but 
real and potential force, called personal magnetism, would have 
to be overcome or offset, and this he determined to do by gain- 
ing, at the earliest possible day, a most thorough and masterful 
knowledge of all the complex and technical, as well as the sim- 
ple and practical subjects, with which our National Legislature 
has to deal, and no man ever became the leader of his party on 
the floor of the House by virtue of his chairmanship of the ways 
and means committee, as he did, who was more unquestionably 
its real leader, by virtue of his superior ability, attainments and 
fitness for the place. 

Mr. Dingley 's habits were as regular and methodical as clock- 
work. He regularly retired at eleven o'clock, and slept while 
other men indulged in social relaxation or dissipation; and as 
regularly breakfasted at seven o'clock and worked while other 
men slept. 

He regarded his time as not his own to be wasted at pleasure, 
but as his only in trust for the public whose servant he always 
felt himself to be, and he safe-guarded it with the same care as 
a miser does his gold. His time was too precious to be freely 
spent in ordinary social talk; but upon due occasion in that 



14 MEMORIAL ADDRESSES. 

higher type of conversation which not only entertains but in- 
structs and inspires, he had few equals. 

I remember on one occasion when he was about to start on 
his regular morning walk of a mile and a quarter from his hotel 
to the Capitol, he invited me to accompany him, saying we could 
thus have opportunity to chat without loss of time; and that 
charming talk of his, which my own reticence enabled him to 
turn into a familiar discourse, will long survive in my memory 
as a most pleasing revelation of a side of the busy man I had 
not before seen. 

Mr. Chairman : That able, compact and influential delegation 
which the State of Maine for years maintained in the National 
Congress, with so much credit to herself and advantage to the 
nation, is only too rapidly breaking up. Of its six members so 
long associated together, and so widely known to fame, Mr. 
Dingley was the second to fall at the post of duty, and to our 
finite comprehension, there has never been a time when he could 
not have been better spared. But while often inscrutable, the 
ways of the Almighty must ever be righteous altogether. This 
is our faith. This we are bound to believe ; and we believe, too, 
that good men will be found to fit into the circumstances of the 
situation and take up and carry forward the work which has 
dropped out of his stricken hands in such a way that the State 
and the republic shall receive no lasting detriment. We will 
reverently bow to this inexorable decree of the Divine will, real- 
izing that, 

"Leaves have their lime to fall, 
-And flowers to wither at the north-wind's breath. 

And stars to set; but all. 
Thou hast all seasons for thine own. O Death!" 



NELSON DINGLEY. 15 



MR. BLANCHARD OP rRANKLIN. 

Your Excellency and Gentlemen of the Assembly: 

Representing a constituency distinguished for its loyalty and 
devotion to Mr. Dingley, I deem it a duty as well as a privilege 
to speak a few words as a tribute to his memory. A noble heart 
has ceased to beat ; a long life of brilliant and self-devoted pub- 
lic service is finished. We now stand at its conclusion, looking 
back through the changeful history of that life to its beginning, 
and its varied events, interwoven with all that tended to the 
upbuilding and the advancement of our own State and the nation, 
throws its shadow of gloom over us to-day. Yet it is a sacred 
privilege to contemplate the end of the great and the good. It is 
profitable as well as purifying to look upon and realize the office 
of death in removing the environments of life and to gaze upon 
virtues which survive its powers of destruction. The light which 
radiates from the life of a great, true and patriotic statesman is 
often dimmed by the mists of political strife, but the blast which 
strikes him down purifies the atmosphere which surrounded him 
in life and allows recognized and unrecognized virtues alike to 
shine forth in bright examples and well-earned renown. It is 
then and only then that we witness the sincere acknowledg- 
ments of gratitude by a people who, having enjoyed the benefits 
arising from the faithful service of an eminent statesmen, embalm 
his name and works in sacred memory. Few, very few, have 
ever combined the high intellectual powers and distinguished 
gifts of our departed representative. Within this very hall, 
whose walls have echoed the voice of a Hamlin and a Fessenden 
and a Blaine, in early life he began his political career, being 
twice elected Speaker of the House of Representatives and six 
times elected a member of that branch. His keen discrimination 
and deep insight into the affairs of State gave him later the high- 
est position within the gift of the people of Maine. His rare 
executive ability displayed as Governor marked him as a fitting 
representative of his constituency in the halls of Congress. 



l6 MEMORIAL ADDRESSES. 

Of the incidents of his Hfe during the past eighteen years as a 
member of Congress, it is unnecessary for me to speak ; they are 
as familiar as household words, and must be equally familiar 
with those who come after us. 

"But there are deeds which should not pass away, 
And names that must not fade." 

Of such deeds the life of Mr. Dingley affords many bright 
examples. His name will live with a freshness which time can- 
not impair, and shine with a brightness which passing years can- 
not dim. 

A great mind, a great heart, a great career have been con- 
signed to history, and her muse will record his rare gifts of 
intellectual power, plain, direct and convincing logic. She will 
point to a career of statesmenship which has to a remarkable 
degree stamped itself in the public policy of this country and 
reached in beneficent practical results the fields, the looms, the 
commercial marts and the quiet homes of all the land. 

Bold and skillful and determined, and possessing a remark- 
able fund of knowledge, he gave character to the party of which 
he was the acknowledged leader, impressed his opinions upon 
their minds and attached himself to their hearts, without arous- 
ing the clamors of rivalry or murmurs of jealousy. A Christian 
statesmen in the glory of his age, his memory will be glorious in 
after years ; it reflects a light coming from a source which clouds 
cannot dim nor shadows obscure. Such a man was Mr. Dingley. 
Amid all the allurements of an eminently successful political 
life, his early habits of temperance and democratic simplicity of 
living stamped him as a man of sterling integrity and spotless 
Christian character. In the exultation of the statesmen he did 
not forget the duties of the man. He was ever approachable, 
agreeable, genial alway. In every city, town and hamlet of his 
district are those who will shed tears of regret that no more will 
they be permitted to touch the hand and listen to the affectionate 
advice of their beloved representative. When in the full power 
and strength of manhood, when his every thought was of the 



NELSON DINGLEY. I7 

progress of his country, when his wise counselHngs were so much 
needed, the dread visitor, death, battles with his noble life. At 
length the silver cord is broken and a nation mourns for her son, 
as only a nation mourns when her truly great and noble die. 

From Maine's bright galaxy of statesmen has fallen a brilliant 
star from the sphere which is illuminated, and is lost in gloom of 
death, and though his work is finished, it has been so noble, so 
honorable, so successfully performed as to entwine his memory 
for all time into the imperishable history of his native State. 
Not alone will his own State remember his work, but throughout 
the nations of the globe, his noble deeds will re-echo down the 
corridors of time. He needs no costly monument of marble, 
bronze or brass to perpetuate his memory for when these shall 
have crumbled into dust the history of our nation will show the 
divinity of his handiwork. 

"When the bright guardians of a country die, 
The grateful tear in tenderness will start, 

And the keen anguish of a reddening eye 
Disclose the deep affliction of the heart." 



r8 MEMORIAL ADDRESSES. 



MR. CHAMBERLAIN OP LINCOLN. 

Your Excellency and Gentlemen of the Assembly: 

When we pause amid our active official duties to pay some trib- 
ute to the memory of the noble dead, we perform an act fully in 
keeping with the best instincts of humanity. We love to honor 
our fellows in life, we bow silently to reverence them in death. 
Here, to-day, do we honor the memory of one who was a true 
man ; whose whole life was devoted to the best interests of his 
district, his State, and his nation. 

Nelson Dingley was indeed a great man. He had made a 
study of life. He had calculated its probabilities ; he had meas- 
ured its possibilities. He had discovered that no course could 
be complete that was not founded upon the best, the purest and 
the noblest purposes. 

He was a student and assiduously applied himself to every pub- 
lic task. His grasp of national questions was masterful ; he 
brought to their consideration a native talent, developed by care- 
ful training and supplemented by a depth of knowledge rarely 
possessed, and only reached by continuous thought, and the most 
rigid research. His abilities in this direction opened up to him 
exceptional opportunities, and how well he improved them his 
great successes attest. 

His statesmenship was the admiration of his people ; his priv- 
ate life the pride of all his friends ; his character a strong fortress 
that defied assault and that drew to him a respect and reverence 
that no other attribute could command. No man was ever 
associated with him who was not bettered because of that silent, 
yet powerful influence. 

"For that structure that we raise, 

Time is with materials filled ; 
Our to-days and yesterdays 

Are the blocks with which we build." 



NELSON DINGLEY. I9 

Mr. Dingley exemplified this truth by presenting to the world 
a life carefully guarded each day by constant, upright, honest en- 
deavor. Each successive stage of his public career, from his 
first experience as a legislator, within these very walls, to his 
exalted station in the National Congress, was marked by the rul- 
ing forces of study and perseverance. 

It is not necessary that I should recount the many acts that 
have made his name famous. These have become a part of his 
nation's history. It is better that we recall the lines of reasoning 
he followed, and reflect upon the paths of progress he trod. He 
was sensible of the trust reposed in him ; ready at all times to 
respond to the demands of his people, ever anxious to give to 
their business interests his impartial attention. He desired to 
be in close touch with all his constituents and the humblest was 
received with courteous consideration. 

Thoroughly American, he aspired to be loyal ; he held a pro- 
tective policy the safest and surest road to development. His 
every undertaking has shown a patriotism worthy of emulation. 

Speaking upon this occasion in behalf of a portion of the con- 
stituency he represented, I desire to express our appreciation of 
his great worth. We almost claimed him as a resident of Lincoln 
county, for it was upon our shores that he had built him a sum- 
mer home to which he could hie when released from the burden 
of official cares, and seek their inspiration and strength. Our 
people were always glad to honor him in life ; they as sacredly 
esteem his memory. 

Mr. Dingley's life work on earth is ended ; his achievements 
will live. We realize the lustre of his fame to-day, but future 
generations reading in the clear light of a true history will come 
to view his life, character and works in even a grander and more 
brilliant radiance. 

"Thou art not idle in thy higher sphere, 

Thy spirit lends itself to loving tasks, 
And strength to perfect what it dreamed of here, 

Is all the crown and glory that it asks." 



MEMORIAL ADDRESSES. 



MR. VOUNQ OF OXFORD. 

Your Excellency and Gentlemen of the Convention: 

This occasion is a notable one for us all. The work of the 
Legislature has ceased for the time that these fitting honors may 
be paid to the memory of Mr. Dingley. The story of his life 
has been told, but had it not been so, that life, with all its strength 
and greatness, would have been as an open book, known of all 
men, and best known and most honored by those with whom he, 
in his lifetime, most associated, and with whom, for so many 
years, he kept himself in close touch and sympathy. For a long 
time he has been among the foremost men of our State. Indeed, 
it was many years ago, that he, after holding numerous positions, 
was for two years Governor of the State in whose service we 
now are. And the same painstaking care, the same honest de- 
votion to the duties of that high office, the same capability and 
tact marked the man in that position that had been his character- 
istics during his life. But, in that broader field which opened up 
to him in the Congress of the United States, he made a name 
and fame as enduring as the rugged hills and mountains which 
are so identified with the county of which, in the Senate of this 
State, I am now a representative, and which constitutes a part 
of the district which he represented in Congress. Of his business 
and political successes I need not speak ; of his family ties, which 
seemed the tenderest and truest, none ever doubted their strength 
and worth. For me only, to say that Oxford honored the splen- 
did abilities and the Christian character of Nelson Dingley, in no 
man better blended, and for him, with our State and nation, 
mourns. 



NELSON DINGLEY. 



MR. MOREV or LEWISTON. 

Your Excellency and Gentlemen of the Assembly: 

A great man is dead. Simultaneously with the announcement 
that his life had ended came an expression of profound regret 
throughout the nation. Rarely indeed has our country paused 
and bowed at the bier of a man who possessed to such a marked 
degree the respect of his fellowmen. And now the State, the 
scene of his early struggles and the witness of his many triumphs, 
to-da)', does homage to his memory. 

Mr. Dingley was a statesmen of great natural ability. Per- 
sistent effort and incessant toil developed those latent natural 
powers with which he was so bountifully endowed. At twelve 
years of age we find him reading and digesting Gibbon's History 
of Rome ; a little later, while still a mere boy, delving deep into 
the intricacies of political economy and philosophy ; and at the 
age of thirteen years he sustained a discussion for more than an 
hour in a mock trial that resulted favorably to his contention. 
These incidents are recalled simply as showing that while a child 
he possessed those qualities of mind to a marked degree, which, 
later on in life, in their full development, rendered him famous. 
Mr. Dingley realized, however, that the possession of great nat- 
ural powers was not alone sufficient for success, but that they 
must be supplemented by broad information to make them effec- 
tive. Accordingly, he bent himself to that task, making the 
acquisition of knowledge one of the chief aims of his life, and, 
as a result, he admittedly had no superior in the nation as to the 
breadth and accuracy of his information on certain economical 
subjects. High in his moral tone, Mr. Dingley brought to the 
aid of his natural gifts and the vast fund of information that he 
had acquired, a purity of character and integrity of purpose that 
rendered his advancement in the political world rapid and easily 
held secure his high position in the national life after it was once 



22 MEMORIAL ADDRESSES. 

acquired. Of the fullness of his success in his public life there 
can be no doubt. He aimed high and he hit the mark. The 
thought is beautifully expressed by Tennyson : 

"When one would aim an arrow fair, 
But send it slackly from the sling, 
And one would pierce an outer ring, 
And one an inner, here and there. 
And last the master bowman, he 
Would cleave the mark." 

Never did he find himself in that sorry plight described by 
Bacon when he says, "Who can see worse days than he that yet 
living doth follow at the funeral of his own reputation." 

The citizens of Lewiston will long remember Mr. Dingley in 
his private life — his life among them. From a modest begin- 
ning in business he worked his way steadily upward along the 
lines of journalistic work, till, at his death, his paper, in its cir- 
culation and influence was easily one of the leading papers of the 
State. During all of these years, Mr. Dingley impressed his 
strong personality upon his fellow citizens. His interest in the 
financial and moral welfare of his city, his solicitude for her 
educational advantages, the strong hand extended to Bates Col- 
lege in the time of her need, will not soon be forgotten. He was 
willing to recognize merit, to assist the young man, to lend a 
helping hand. Many the time that he interested himself to 
obtain a pension for the soldier's widow and orphans. 

He possessed a kind heart. His instincts were those of a true 
gentleman. His affable and courteous ways invited confidence. 
But why enumerate further instances. The ten thousand persons 
that passed with solemn tread and viewed his remains lying in 
state in City hall, were witnesses to the esteem and respect in 
which they held their distinguished townsmen. And later, at the 
church at which he had been an attendant for so many years, 
when the last sad rites were said, this honorable body, by its 
official delegation, witnessed the great throng that passed by the 



NELSON DINGLEY. , 23 

mortal remains of Mr. Dingley, eager for the last look before 
eternity claimed him forever. 

He died a Christian gentlemen. For him, 

"The day has come, not gone; 
The sun has risen, not set ; 
His life is now beyond 
The reach of death or change, 
Not ended but begun." 



MR. HARRIS OP AUBURN. 

Your Excellency and Gentlemen of the Assembly: 

The thoughts that arise in our hearts and gather to our lips 
upon this occasion may be fully and freely expressed. The life 
work of Nelson Dingley shines brighter than any light that can 
be thrown upon it. 

The State of Maine has suffered a grievous loss, and dedicates 
this day and hour to the memory of as worthy a man as was ever 
reared within its borders. 

He won his way without exciting the envy of others, and rose 
to high places of trust and responsibility solely by merit. 
Offered the treasury portfolio by the present administration, he 
declined it, believing that his duty lay in forwarding the work 
he had already undertaken. A member of one of the strongest 
delegations in the National House — one of whom was its dis- 
tinguished speaker — coming from a sparsely populated State 
as compared with many of her sister states, without the backing 
which mere numbers give in the conduct of our Republican insti- 
tutions, he was, without question, made chairman of the commit- 
tee of ways and means and thus became the acknowledged leader 
of the dominant party on the floor of the House. 

No man in Congress, or out of Congress, ever did more for the 
welfare of this State and its citizens than did he. He had seen 
his tariff bill and his war revenue bill in successful operation. 



24 MEMORIAL ADDRESSES. 

In the midst of his labors upon the commission which had in 
charge the negotiations with Canada and the Enghsh commis- 
sion, respecting reciprocity he is stricken down. At the height, 
perhaps, of his career he is taken from us. Much was depend- 
ing upon him. This feehng of dependence upon and confidence 
in him pervaded the entire country. Expressions of profound 
sorrow are heard on every side, from people of high and low 
degree, from the President of the United States solicitous at his 
bedside in Washington during his last illness, to the aged woman 
whose husband and son he had befriended, kneeling beside his 
casket in City hall in Lewiston, thronged with the procession 
of mourners, and oflfering up her prayer and lamentation. 

His life and character were a fit setting for his distinguished 
abilities. Simple and unostentatious in dress, in manner, and 
habits of life, he was the most approachable of men. His atten- 
tion and interest were easily enlisted and he was helpful to all 
who sought his counsel. 

The earlier years of his manhood were employed in establish- 
ing the newspaper which remains a lasting monument to his un- 
tiring industry and business sagacity. It was his pleasure "To 
scorn delights and live laborious days." 

Not so very long ago, standing in front of the Journal office 
in Lewiston, in conversation with him, he said to mc : "If I have 
ever accomplished anything worth while, it has lieen done by 
hard work. Genius! some men talk about genius. If there 
is such a thing, I haven't any of it, nothing but a talent for hard 
work." 

He was never an agitator or an alarmist. There was nothing 
negative in his way of doing things. Simple and straightfor- 
ward in his methods, profound and thorough in his knowledge, 
he was a constructive statesmen of the highest type. 

It is a matter of satisfaction and pride to us that his unusual 
abilities were early recognized here at home. When twenty- 
nine years of age he first became a member of this House and 



NELSON DINGLEY. 25 

was Speaker for two terms, declining a third election to the 
Chair. 

Here again, as when he declined the treasury portfolio, he 
chose to serve on the floor of the House rather than in executive 
office. His two terms, however, as Chief Executive of the State, 
demonstrated his supreme fitness for such duties. 

He was a leader of men, not by reason of his oratory or what 
we call personal magnetism, but by reason of his integrity and 
the sheer force of his intelligence. His application to details 
was prodigious and his force of mind and clear vision carried 
him safely through great undertakings. He won for himself the 
same esteem in the broader field of his labors that he had won 
at home among his neighbors and his friends. 

We of the State of Maine are proud of him and are loyal to 
his memory. We know that where he led there it was safe to 
follow. His career has become a part of our State and national 
history. He takes his place (not the least) among the men 
whose names shine brightest on those pages. Evans, Fessenden, 
Hamlin, Blaine, Dingley are names that stir the blood of the 
sons of Maine. 

His services to the public and to humanity are not finished. 
The purity of his character, his modesty and simplicity, the in- 
tenseness of his purpose have left an indelible impression. The 
good he did lives after him. 



26 MEMORIAL ADDRESSES. 



MR. DONHAM OP HEBRON. 

Your Excellency and Gentlemen of the Assembly: 

It is with gratitude to my associates that I am given an oppor- 
tunity of paying a word of tribute to the memory of the great 
congressman whom earth has lost and Heaven has gained. 

Our words, to-day, are of little consequence, except as they 
express our individual appreciation of those qualities of mind 
which characterized the man and his work. 

A gentlemen of eminent qualifications and ample opportuni- 
ties for knowing, speaking in commendation of the remarks of 
his pastor at the funeral service, said : "There was of Mr. 
Dingley that which was both good and great and to exaggerate 
either, is to do an injustice to his memory." 

Of that which was great — of his great work in life, it is for 
those to speak who, by personal association, knew him best. 

Of its grand resvilts and benefits to his fcllowmen, those quali- 
fied by long experience in the greater affairs of men may judge 
them. 

To-day, I would pay tribute to that which was kind and good 
in Mr. Dingley's life, as made manifest by his work. And in 
that work, his beneficence was not characterized by individual 
preferences so much as by a breadth of mind, a keen judgment 
of what would bring to his people the most good and the great- 
est blessings. 

His kindly nature, united to his loyalty to duty, held his mind 
in active exercise, so that nothing should escape his notice where- 
in he might do for his people. And when by virtue of the high 
position he occupied as chairman of the committee to provide 
ways and means for the government, the people of the whole 
country became his constituents, and he was found equal to the 
requirements of a nation. 

With all his eminence and the great prestige he had won he 
was not given to offering his opinions concerning great ques- 
tions unasked. We recall one instance when out of the kindness 



NELSON DINGLEY. 2"] 

of his heart he spoke that the people might be saved from the 
unnecessary anxiety and the business men from an alarm that 
was liable to bring disaster to the business interests of the whole 
country. 

When in November last, the senator from Ohio was under- 
stood to say that the tariiif was to again undergo revision, to meet 
the requirements incident to the war with Spain, his words had 
hardly reached the masses, on their mission of danger to the 
great centers of tr..de, before it was flashed on lightning wings 
thoroughout this great land, that there would be no revision of 
the tariff. Contingencies were provided for, and business con- 
tinued in the even tenor of its way, undisturbed, for Nelson 
Dingley had spoken. 

As the statement of the misquoted senator from Ohio was 
supposed to embody the views of the administration, this timely 
act of our congressman was the more grand. He risked the 
prestige he had gained by years of toil, that he might do his 
people a kindness, and in their hearts they thanked God for this 
man, who could quiet their fears with such authority and assur- 
ance. 

As a citizen and neighboi , my first impression of Mr. Dingley 
was formed under circumstances well remembered by his friends. 
He had just returned from abroad. Three months of his time 
had been devoted to the study of the Irish question, as it then 
agitated America as well as all Europe. True to the nature of the 
man, he had chosen to go to the source of the trouble to study it. 
From the abject misery of the Irish hovels, he had come to a land 
of plenty and a home of luxury. To be once more among trusted 
friends, and his belovea neighbors, so affected his generous 
nature, that his soul overflowed with a joy I have never seen 
equalled. In a recent conversation he told me that he never knew 
what a glorious thing it was to be an American citizen, until he 
had lived through this home coming. 



28 MEMORIAL ADDRESSES. 

The highest to which a man may attain in life is to become 
fit for the Lord to make use of him in His care and control of 
the universe. It is from this standpoint that we may account 
for much that we know of in the lives and works of Washington, 
Lincoln and Grant, of Webster, Clay and Sumner, and of our 
own Hamlin, Blaine and Dingley. 

One of the most cherished memories of my life is that this 
noble man made some use of iiic, in extending his kindness to 
others. 

A desire for knowledge and a struggle in gaining it, whether 
by schoolboy or man, challenged his deepest interest. 

I was accustomed to send to Mr. Dingley for books, reports, 
copies of speeches and government literature for the students of 
Hebron Academy. In preparing themselves for debates on 
questions pertaining to our government, and essays in graduating 
exercises, etc., they had come to depend upon our representative 
in Congress as one of their ready and most valued sources of 
information. Words once reached him that it was feared that 
the students were encroaching upon his time, giving him trouble 
or at least annoyance, that they were presuming upon his gen- 
erosity, but his kindness was equal to their demands, and word 
came back that they need employ no middleman, but send direct 
to him whenever they thought he could help them. The boys 
and girls, the students of any other school, would have received 
from him the same kind attention. It had but to be shown him 
that a boy or girl was trying to fit themselves for the work of 
the future, and the duties of life, to insure them the help of his 
beneficent, tireless mind. It became my pleasant duty to call 
upon him on business in October last. With the business dis- 
posed of, I asked him if he would take under consideration the 
coming to Hebron Academy, to speak to those students to whom 
he had been so kind. I asked it, hoping he would give me 
encouragement that at some time in the future he would try to 
do so. I was gratified by his saying "I will do that — that's just 
what I want to do," and when he named a day in the coming 



NELSON DINGLEY. 29 

week, I was indeed surprised. He said he was refusing to speak 
in other places, or states, but he feh as though he knew those 
young folks up there, and he was glad of an opportunity to go 
to see them. Mr. Dingley came to Hebron, October twenty. 
After spending a part of the day with friends, he met the students 
in their large audience room in the academy building. He had 
said to me that he would speak to them without any special prep- 
aration. Together we outlined what we thought would be sat- 
isfactory to them. I speak of this, because, after he had met the 
students and looked into the faces of those boys and girls, some- 
thing must have changed the course of his thoughts, for not once 
did he refer to his subject as we had outlined it. He seemed 
to be taken back to his own school-day life. He told them with 
an accuracy as remarkable as it was interesting of his own school 
days, and his individual method of studying. How from the 
years from twelve to eighteen he had made a special study of 
history while tending his father's store in the country. His 
method was, after putting the store in order for the morning he 
would read until a customer came in. After the customer had 
gone he would repeat aloud to himself what he had read before 
he was interrupted. If any part was not well understood, he 
would read again that portion and rehearse it until it was fixed 
in his mind. His rule was to read about twenty or thirty min- 
utes, close the book, rehearse it, and catechise himself. In this 
way he read the histories of that time. In proof of the value of 
his method of study he told them that since he had been in public 
life, whenever he wanted to refer to history studied in those 
years, he could recall it to mind as readily as though he had 
read it but yesterday. 

What his talk was to the scholars they can speak for them- 
selves. In the last number of their school journal, the Sem- 
ister, edited and published by the school, there is a notice of Mr. 
Dingley's visit to them as follows : 

"On October 20th, the Hon. Nelson Dingley, our representa- 
tive to Congress, came to Hebron for the purpose of making the 



30 MEMORIAL ADDRESSES. 

Students of Hebron Academy a visit. It is our wish to acknowl- 
edge a kindness whatever its source. That Mr. Dingley, after 
doing for us as he has done in the past, should lay aside his great 
cares and public duties to come and speak to us, places us under 
an obligation which we are unable to properly acknowledge. 
His subject seemed to be his own school-days, what he himself 
did when he was in our places. He explained his method of 
learning with such clearness and vigor that we could adopt it as 
our rule of study at once. His tribute to the Scriptures, the 
beauty of their language, the purity of their English, their value 
as our guide in life while young, will never be forgotten by those 
who heard him. He urged us to study the politics of our 
country, to choose and act upon those principles, which will per- 
petuate the New England home, to investigate well, choose and 
act with that party which to our minds represents that which is 
good and best for the people, and that which represents progress 
and prosperity to our nation." 

To-day, those students, my neighbors and the people in the little 
village over in the Oxford county hills have gathered in their audi- 
ence room, this morning, to speak to each other of the kindness of 
their friend. As my mind goes out to them assembled there to 
join with us, the government of our State, in honoring his mem- 
ory, I know that their lips are expressing their hearts' deepest 
feelings, that their words are laden with a tenderness akin to and 
a love not unlike that in which we hold and cherish the memory 
of our own immortal Lincoln. 



NELSON DINGLEY. 3I 

MR. WEBB or PORTLAND. 

Your Excellency and Gentlemen of the Assembly: 

We pause, to-day, in our public duties to do honor to a leading 
American statesman. His fame and reputation are as broad as 
the nation, and his name, we firmly believe, is written indelibly 
on the pages of American history. All the nation honored him 
when living, all the nation mourns him dead. But yet he was 
ours, our fellow citizen, our friend, our neighbor. This is the 
State of his birth, here is the hall where his political career be- 
gan, where for six terms he was a representative, and never in 
the greater honors that came to him and in the eminent positions 
which for so many years he filled, did he falter in his affection 
for his native State nor in his devotion to the interests of her 
people. 

In another sense also he was a true representative of Maine 
and New England. He had inherited from his Puritan ances- 
tors many of those better traits of the Puritan character. He 
had the deep and fervent religious belief, an ever present faith 
in the love of Christ and in the nearness of God influencing all 
the actions of his daily life, the conscientiousness in the perform- 
ance of duty, public and private, and the absolute and perfect 
purity of thought and action. That stalwart, historical Puri- 
tanism which has made New England famous never had a better 
representative in the halls of the American Congress. 

His powers of memory and his industry were marvellous. He 
had at his immediate command, an enormous amount of informa- 
tion. He never wearied in the study of the subjects to which 
he had especially devoted his life, and seemed never to forget 
what he had learned. Work was his greatest pleasure. Con- 
stant industry, rare powers of concentration and utter indiffer- 
ence to all distracting pursuits, made him the best informed man 
in the country upon questions of fiscal policy. But while he was 
a student, he was also practical. He was the exponent of a 
theory, but he was no mere theorist. As the author of the 



32 MEMORIAL ADDRESSES. 

present revenue legislation of the United States, he was not sim- 
ply the student working out blindly theories formed in the closet, 
but the practical and far-seeing statesman striving for practical 
results. 

He cared little for amusements or for the life of society. Com- 
radeship with other men was unusual with him. He lived in a 
world of ideas, not of men. He was a man of kindly feeling, 
generous impulses and benevolent tendencies, but all his affection 
was centered in his family. His home life was particularly 
charming and beautiful. Rarely will one find a closer union than 
that between his wife and himself, rarely a parent more devoted 
to his children. 

We wonder at his industry, we admire his intellect, we rever- 
ence and respect his character. Maine was proud of him while 
he lived. She honors herself in doing honor to his memorv. 



MR. MAXCY OF GARDINeR. 

Your Excellency and Gentlemen of the Assembly: 

Eulogies, no matter how full of praise, no matter how elo- 
quently delivered, can add nothing to the fame of him whose 
memory we now honor, and whose departure we so sincerely 
mourn. But having received from him courtesies that I can 
never forget, and having had the rare privilege, a privilege I 
think no other gentleman in this House enjoyed, of being a neigh- 
bor of Mr. Dingley for many years during his vacation days, 
I feel I should be ungrateful, did I not at this time express my 
appreciation of the virtue of him we knew and loved. 

Upon our beautiful coast of Maine, two miles out from its 
rock-l)Ound shores, cradled in the arms of the broad Atlantic, lies 
the peaceful island where, summer after summer, for a quarter 
of a century. Governor Dingley went with his family to seek 
his much needed rest and recreation, and there in his modest 
cottage by the sea, amid the firs and spruces and among 



NELSON DINGLEY. 33 

the rugged rocks of his native State, he lived during his vaca- 
tion months. Away from the cares of state, beyond the sound 
of the iron horse, miles from the distracting noise of the city, 
beside that sea whose soothing influence night after night lulled 
him to rest, he peacefully and quietly dwelt. 

His brain largely conceived the idea of those homes by the sea, 
his hand penned the words that shaped their government, and 
it was mainly through his example and influence that the moral 
tone of that island has been of the highest ; its history is a liv- 
ing monument to his principles and ideas. 

He dwelt among his neighbors, quietly, without ostentation, as 
though not aware of his popularity or of his publicity. Strang- 
ers coming to our island could scarcely believe that the quiet, gen- 
tlemanly, courteous man pointed out to them as Congressman 
Dingley, was the same man of whom they had read and who 
stood so high at Washington, for no man upon our island was 
more unassuming than he, and yet his influence was so great 
among us, that I never knew him to advocate any measure that 
was not adopted ; his earnestness of manner and his clearness 
of expression always carried conviction. Always ready and wil- 
ling to answer any proper question concerning the affairs of our 
State or country, I remember with gratitude the conversations 
with him I was permitted to enjoy. I recall especially those con- 
cerning the great national questions of the past few years, the 
silver question, the tariff, and the Spanish war; in this latter 
affair I realized how near he stood to the President and how 
important a factor he was in shaping the destiny of this country. 
I learned from his lips the attitude of both the President and him- 
self concerning the war, and he said to me with an earnestness 
I shall never forget "view the matter as we may, the United 
States have embarked upon a course that will lead them no one 
knows where, but of this we are assured, that whether we wish 
it or not, the simplicity of the United States of the past is a 
thing of the past, and henceforth we shall take a new stand 
among the nations of the world." 
3 



34 MEMORIAL ADDRESSES. 

The extent of his information upon various subjects greatly 
surprised me, and I recall at this moment the last evening I spent 
in his company. Some legal questions pertaining to the affairs 
of our island were discussed, and Mr. Dingley gave us his 
opinion with a clearness of style that any lawyer might envy, and 
then the conversation turning upon the war and finance he spoke 
of these matters, and gave us figures by the score as readily as 
though reading from a book. Again the conversation changed 
to the history of our coast, and he related many incidents in 
connection with the early settlements of Pemaquid, Monhegan 
and Fort Popham, that caused us to look with wonder upon the 
extent of his information. His fund of knowledge seemed 
inexhaustible, and from law to finance, to state craft and to 
history, his mind passed with scarcely an effort. 

A few years ago, at the close of a beautiful Sabbath day in 
August, he addressed us in the open air upon the shores of our 
island. In conversation with him just before he began to speak, 
I said to him, it must be difficult for you to appear at your best 
when, considering the day, you would hardly expect the stimulus 
of applause you generally receive, and he answered, "I care 
not for applause, the clapping of hands or the stamping of feet 
make no impression upon me ; if I can have the eyes of my audi- 
ence fixed upon me, if I can have their undivided attention I am 
perfectly satisfied." Standing there in the open air, with head 
uncovered, with no sound save the gentle pulsing of the sea upon 
the weather-beaten rocks, and as the sun was slowly sinking in 
the ocean, he addressed us in such an earnest, impressive and 
conscientious manner, that the scene will never be effaced from 
my mind, and I am sure that he then received the reward that 
he desired, the earnest gaze and undivided attention of his 
hearers. 

Born in the humble walks of life, with no heritage of fame 

or fortune awaiting him. Nelson Dingley by his own efforts, with- 

t the aid of rich and powerful friends, slowly but surely 

climbed the ladder of fame until he became great in the councils 



NELSON DINGLEY. 35 

of the nation, and now the grandeur of the man is recognized 
by all. 

His career has not been brilliant or swift, but by industry, 
honesty, faithfulness, and uprightness of character he trod the 
path from his birthplace upon a hillside farm to a seat in this 
House, and those same principles secured for him the highest 
office in the gift of this State, and right nobly did he fill the Gov- 
ernor's chair. Entering the halls of Congress it was years before 
he became the leader upon the floor of the House, years of patient 
toil, years of self-sacrificing labor in the interests of his State 
and his country, and he asked for no reward save the conscious- 
ness of doing right. Leader of his own party, he was more 
respected and followed by his political opponents than any other 
member of that House. 

Trusted with the innermost secrets of the President and of 
our government, secrets which could easily have enriched him, 
he never by word or look betrayed that trust. Honor him we 
ought, honor him we must ; his life, his virtues, compel our 
admiration and command our respect, for he honored every 
position which he filled. 

He loved this land of his birth, he loved our rock-bound coast, 
against which, in sunshine and in storm the ocean rolls inces- 
santly, our immense forests and our great lakes, our hills of 
granite, our fertile valleys and our beautiful rivers which flow 
peacefully to the sea ; but above all he loved and labored for 
those who chisel our granite, or hew our timber, for those who 
toil in our workshops or upon our land, and for those who carry 
in ships the products of our skill and industry ; for them he 
gave his eft'orts and his life. 

His work is finished, his book is closed, and turning over its 
pages we read the rich legacy he has left to his family, his friends, 
his State and his country, a legacy not of gold that might perish 
with him, not a reputation for base power that must soon be 
forgotten, but a legacy that is written in our hearts, his noble 
character. He has left a name imperishable in the history of our 



36 MEMORIAL ADDRESSES. 

State ; he has Hved a Hfe that with other strong, honest, noble 
lives makes possible a continuation of this land of the free, and 
so long as such men devote their energies and lives to the cause 
of right, so long will this nation prosper. 

- "God blesses still the generous thought 
And still the fitting word He speeds, 
And truth at His requiring taught. 
He quickens into deeds. 

Where is the victory of the grave? 

What dust upon the spirit lies? 
God keeps the sacred life He gave, 

The prophet never dies." 



MR. BENNETT OF MOLLIS. 

Your Excellency and Gentlemen of the .Issenihlx: 

In this hour of eulogy on the life of this distinguished man, 
I wish to add one spray to the wreath now weaving around his 
memory, as a tribute from Dartmouth College. 

It is sad to do almost anything for the last time. The hand of 
the sculptor trembles as it gives the last touch to the ilunib mar- 
ble, though that touch may place a smile upon lips of stone, and 
give immortality to the hand that placed it there. 

Nelson Dingley has gone to his final rest; he has finished the 
work of a noble life and while his heart has ceased to throb with 
earthly hope, his soul, spotless as a ray of morning light has 
winged its course to the throne of all judgments to claim its 
reward, home and rest in the starry realms of Heaven. 

My heart is sorely grieved in saying a last "farewell" to him, 
my elder brother, for we are alumni of the same college, brothers 
in the same fraternity and you that have entered the charmed 
circle of a college family can best appreciate the import of this 
hour so sad to me. 

He received the greater part of his scholastic training at Dart- 
mouth, from which college he was graduated in the class of 1855. 



NELSON DINGLEY. 37 

Upon entering college, he at once set a proper value upon the 
advantages it afforded him for intellectual progress, for build- 
ing a noble and robust character and preparation for an honor- 
able and useful career in life. He never wasted a single hour 
of those college years on worthless but tempting vanities, for he 
knew if those opportunities were once lost, that neither gold nor 
tears could buy them back. If there is one word in our language 
that governed his life, it was manliness ; he burned that word 
into the palm of his hand so deeply that no bribe or temptation 
could induce him to raise that hand for a base or unworthy pur- 
pose. 

He was a diligent and tireless student, careful and thorough 
in all his investigations, platonic in reason, cogent and convinc- 
ing in argument, ready in debate, though not so brilliant, per- 
haps, as some, for his was not a genius that sparkled now and 
then, and dazzled the world with a fitful light for a few moments 
and then vanished ; it shone rather with a pure, steady and benig- 
nant beam such as gives leaf and bloom to the forest, pencils 
the apple's cheek, and ripens the harvest in the field. He laid 
the foundations for his future greatness broad and deep by labo- 
rious days and nights of collegiate application. He graduated at 
the head of his class ; he died its most eminent man, a Christian 
statesman, loved by his neighbors, trusted by his State, honored 
by the nation and respected everywhere. Totus teres atque 
rotundus. 

What a noble example for the youth of his countrv. 

Dartmouth will miss her son. She will preserve and ever 
cherish his memory as one of her most sacred trusts. She will 
write his name beside that of Webster, Choate, Chase and other 
classic names that cluster around her brilliant history. 

Mr. Speaker : The greatest honor that could fall to a Spartan 
mother was to have the lifeless form of her son, slain in battle, 
returned to her upon his shield. Few, indeed^ ever gained that 
reward. It was bestowed onlv on him whose integrity was spot- 
less, whose loyalty was above suspicion, whose courage flinched 



38 MEMORIAL ADDRESSES. 

at no peril, nor passed unchallenged ny foe. Finally he must 
plead his title with his sword upon tlie balLleiield, face to face 
with Sparta's enemies. Did the sharp point of a foeman's cimeter 
inflict the slightest scar upon his back while in retreat, then this 
great honor was forfeited. 

Nelson Dingley comes back to his latest home borne upon his 
shield. He has fought life's conflict with a Spartan's fortitude ; 
he fell in the very bowels of the battle with shield and war-gear 
harnessed, he bears no scar tainted with cowardice or dishonor. 
No man can challenge his right, and while his Alma Mater now 
sits mourning over his lifeless dust and is shaken with this tem- 
pest of grief that beats against every breast, like Scylla's restless 
wave, soon she will lift her voice in peans soft as strains from 
Orpheus' lyre at the triumph of this splendid man. He lived a 
noble life ; laden with honor's spoils he dies. 

To his country he leaves a patriot's richest gift, the benefaction 
of a Christian life consecrated to principles of justice, truth and 
humanity, that shall be an inspiration for her intelligent and 
robust youth outlasting fame's eternal date. For his college he 
has won the Spartan's crown. Then 

Hail, Dartmouth, victorious in thy mourning weeds, 
Let thy son in peace and honor rest, 
From worldly chance and strife secure, 
For him "there are no tempests, no noise, but silence 
and eternal sleep." 



NELSON DINGLEY. 39 



MR. 6ELLEAU OF LEWISTON. 

Your Excellency and Gentlemen of the Assembly: 

"The ocean of to-morrow 
Breaks upon life's rocky shore, 
With its turmoil, with its sorrow, 
Evermore, ah, evermore. 
Flowing, ebbing, ebbing, flowing; 
Fears of untold trouble throwing. 
Solemn shadows over tide." 

Sir : The nation has lost a great man. The voice of Gov- 
ernor Dingley which but recently echoed through the national 
house of Congress is forever silent. 

The State of Maine which gave him birth, had in him a most 
devoted son hence she loved him, she cherished him, gave him 
position, reputation and honor ; but all, Mr. Dingley fairly earned 
by a long life devoted to duty, to study to the interests and to 
the welfare of his State and country. 

Sir : It was not my privilege or fortune to know Mr. Ding- 
ley intimately, but to see him was to know him. The represen- 
tative of the Second district of Maine was not an ordinary man. 
His intellectual endowments were of the highest degree. His 
life and character were above reproach. His busy career shows 
us how well his mind was stored with that useful information 
which qualified him for the high duties and trust entrusted to 
his care. In his early life Mr. Dingley was admitted to the bar, 
had he followed that profession he would have ranked among the 
most profound jurists in the land ; but journalism claimed him 
and there he was the peer of the ablest of the profession, and 
it is the journalist that became a legislator in this House of Rep- 
resentatives. Its speaker and the governor of the State ; serving 
the people in these several capacities so well and so faithfully 
that the admiration for the man became general, and from then 
there remained but another thought in the minds of his people 
and that to elevate him still higher in the council of the nation 
as soon as the opportunity would present itself. The oppor- 



40 MEMORIAL ADDRESSES. 

tunity came, Air. Dingley was elected to Congress, to the ever- 
lasting honor of his constituents. 

In Congress his reputation had preceded him. There he 
carried that same energy, that same cool judgment that had 
characterized his labor at home and at once his reputation became 
world wide and not only did he become the leader of his party 
but he became the great legislator, statesman, and a patriot. 

But, sir, 1 had not risen for the purpose of eulogj-, others 
more able, better qualified and more authorized, have done so 
eloquently and in the best of terms, but I should have been unjust 
to the feelings of my heart had I failed to declare my sorrow 
for the loss of this distinguished son of Maine. I feel I should 
be untrue to the people I have the honor to humbly represent, 
had I failed on this occasion to rise and place on record their 
high appreciation of Mr. Dingley as their neighbor, their friend 
and their eminent representative in Congress. Hence my par- 
ticipation in these most worthy exercises. 

Sir : The city of Lewiston mourns the loss of her great citi- 
zen. The nation, and the State of Maine especially, will remem- 
ber her great men, and in the days that are to come, when her 
admiring sons shall call the roll of her illustrious statesmen, by 
no means the least in that bright array will stand the name of 
Nelson Dingley. 

The Governor: The purpose for which this Assembly was 
formed having been fully and most ably accomplished, I now 
declare it dissolved. 



